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Senior Desiree Jennings loves children.
She has spent her summers working with children who are in
occupational therapy, and she is working toward a degree
and teaching certificate in early childhood education. A
recent newlywed, she is planning to have a large family of
her own and says she realizes from her own work and studies
that raising well-balanced, compassionate, service-oriented
children is not an easy task! After she graduates this semester,
she plans to work part-time, with children, of course, while
she researches and applies for jobs in the Atlanta Public
School District. She would like to begin teaching in her
own classroom next fall.
Expected
graduation: December 2005
Degree Objective: B.S.Ed. in Early Childhood
Education with a minor in Spanish
University highlights, achievements
and awards
I've been a member of the African-American Choral Ensemble
(AACE) since my sophomore year. AACE is a university ensemble
composed of a diverse group of students, and we perform gospel
and spiritual music written and composed primarily by African-American
artists. Being in AACE has been one of the most uplifting
and rewarding of all my UGA experiences. I also had the opportunity
to dance with the Pamoja Dance Company for two semesters.
I love Pamoja because it's open to all kinds of dancers,
no matter the experience, training, or style they have, and
because the members choreograph and perform all the pieces.
I've had an incredible time both watching and performing
in Pamoja's diverse, creative and energetic shows.
Current employment:
I work with a pediatric occupational therapist in Decatur
during the summers. I have worked with her for the past
three years. We work with children with various types (auditory,
visual, tactile, emotional, social, etc.) and levels (mild,
moderate, severe) of special needs. During each session,
we take the children hiking and rock climbing, which provides
them with fun and challenging gross motor work, and later
we engage them in activities focused on developing and
improving their fine motor skills. We also try to help
them understand their own sensory needs and how those needs
affect their emotions and behavior. We also help them learn
how to handle those needs best when they are affected.
Working with this program has been an amazing and invaluable
learning experience.
High School: Tucker High School
Hometown: Stone Mountain, Georgia (mostly)
I chose to attend UGA because...
...I'd heard wonderful things about the early childhood program,
and it was most important to me that I attended a university
that would support, assist and encourage me to become the
best teacher I could be. Also, after having spent nearly
a year overseas, I wanted to be close to my family.
My favorite things to do on campus are...
...see movies and play pool at Tate, walk thorough any of
the gardens, and catch any live music, drama, or dance performance.
When I have free time, I like...
...to try out new restaurants, read, go out dancing, and
spend time with friends and family.
The craziest thing I've done is...
...gone to live in a country (Venezuela) where I didn't know
the language or any people right after graduating high school.
I lived there for eight months, working with Venezuelan youth
and giving "virtues" classes to children in small
communities in different parts of the country. It was the
most daring and one of the single most rewarding experiences
of my life.
My favorite place to study is...
...Barnes and Noble. When I'm around so many books and so
many other people reading, all I can do is work or study.
My favorite professor is...
...Jacqueline Saindon. I took an ELAN course with her, one
of the three that can be taken to get an ESOL certification.
Somehow, she was able to crete an environment in which 20+
incredibly different students felt comfortable enough to
have candid,open and calm discussions about racism, stereotypes,
and cultural miscommunications. She was amazing.
If I could share an afternoon with anyone, I would
love to share it with...
...Mary Maxwell, who was also known as Rhuhiyyih Khanum.
She was an awe-inspiring, though largely unknown, humanitarian
who lived during the twentieth century and who, throughout
her lifetime and right into her elder years, visited nearly
200 countries, spending large amounts of time in rural or
impoverished villages. I would love to discuss her journeys
and experiences with her and learn more about her devotion
to humanity.
If I knew I could not fail, I would...
...have lots and lots of children! I just got married on
May 21, 2005, and lately my husband and I have been discussing
children and our future family. I definitely want to have
more than one child, but after having learned so much about
children through education and experience, I realize more
and more what an incredible challenge it is to be a parent.
I think if I knew for sure that I could raise several well-balanced,
compassionate, service-oriented children, I'd want to do
it.
After graduation, I plan to...
...take a semester to find a part-time job at a children's
gym and research schools in the Atlanta public school system.
Hopefully this will help me decide where I'd like to apply
to teach so I can begin teaching full-time by the fall of
2006.
The one UGA experience I will always remember will
be...
...the "snow day" during spring semester of 2004.
I remember waking up at 6:00 to go to my 8:00 class, looking
out my window, and seeing snow--not just flurries, but real
snow! The resulting day was like something out of elementary
school: people were seeing snow for the first time, tossing
snow out of the 7th floor windows, piling up in pick-ups
and drive-by snowballing, and the R.A's were getting really
annoyed. It was a great day. |
